The present invention relates to fishing hooks assembled with artificial lures and, more specifically, to a hook assembly provided in two sections for combination with a rigid lure having a passageway therethrough.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,847, issued Aug. 19, 1975, of the present inventor, a fishing lure in the nature of an artificial minnow is disclosed in a number of embodiments, each having a body portion with a longitudinally extending passageway, open at both ends, for passage of a line or leader to which a hook is attached. It is sometimes desireable to have the metal shank extend integrally from the hook end, through the lure to an eye at the opposite end for attachment of the line or leader. However, it is difficult and expensive to mold the plastic lure directly about the shank of the hook and a one-piece hook member, having a hook on one end and an eye on the other, cannot be passed directly through the constricted passageway in the lure.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a hook assembly which can quickly, easily and cheaply be assembled with a rigid fishing lure having a shank extending continuously through a passageway in the lure, with a hook and an eye at opposite ends.
It is a further object to provide a fishing hook assembly including two sections which may be inserted into opposite ends of a passageway in a rigid lure and automatically engage one another to prevent withdrawal upon insertion.
Still another object is to provide a two-piece fish hook assembly wherein shank portions of the two pieces are mutually engaged upon insertion into a constricted passageway in a rigid lure in at least two rotational orientations of the shank portions.
Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.